The Bozeman Trail was a shortcut to the newly-discovered gold fields of Montana Territory. Cutting through the heart of Indian country, it provoked a clash of cultures that exploded into warfare, destruction and tragedy. In the accompanying Lesson Plans for Grades 6-8 and 9-12 (found in the Support Materials), students will learn it was a singular road that changed this part of the American West forever.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Students will watch portions of a documentary about the Bozeman Trail. 
• Students will use independent, small group, and whole class strategies to describe, interpret, and analyze key components of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (primary source). 
• Students will conduct research on the current Native American Reservations.
• Students will use and evaluate multiple sources of information in diverse formats and media (e.g. internet, video, etc.) in order to address a question or solve a problem. Students will practice reading an informational text, speaking and listening, and reading in Social Studies and History. 

View the entire documentary at The Bozeman Trail: A Rush to Montana’s Gold